About this eBook

PREFACE Biofertilizers refer to preparations containing live or latent cells of efficient strains of nitrogen-fixing and phosphate solubilizing microorganisms used for application to seed, soil or composting areas with the aims of increasing the numbers of such microorganisms and accelerating certain microbial processes to augment the extent of availability of nutrients in a form which can be easily assimilated by plants. To feed the ever increasing population and shrinking agricultural land area it is mandatory to increase soil productivity. It is being observed all over the world that the soil productivity is declined due to harmful residual effects and excess application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Increasing ground water pollution due to toxic chemicals of these chemical fertilizers and pesticides is also reported throughout the world. These threats compel scientists to look again in the use of chemical fertilizers and to find safe alternates to it. Besides this the present production of chemical fertilizers failed to reach the need of these fertilizers due to accelerated agricultural development. This has in turn paved the way for integrated Plant Nutrient involving judicious and integrated use of chemical synthetic sources of nutrients along with biofertilizers and nutrients through crop residue recycling, organic manures, green manuring and wastes etc. Nitrogen fixation through industrial process requires high temperature and pressure and thus escalating its production cost which is ultimately beard by the end-user the farmer. This nitrogen is present in atmosphere in a great amount. Microorganisms can convert this nitrogen in plant available form free of cost and thus they become cheaper to the farmer. Further, among all non-mineral sources of nutrients, only biofertilizers are based on renewable energy sources. Biofertilizers can play a very significant role in improving soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen besides solubilizing accessing phosphate not available inaccessible to plants. They also produce growth substances in the rhizosphere. Threats to human health and high costs of chemical fertilizers make compulsory to return toward organic farming. The current trend is to explore the possibility of supplementing chemical fertilizers with organic ones. Microbial processes are not only quick but they have advantages of being diversified into small units to meet the demands of specific problems of location which one is apt to come across in the agricultural practices of nations which have not taken to mechanization of farming. Besides these benefits biofertilizers failed to get such popularities as that of chemical fertilizers. A number of reasons are there for it. In view of the immense potential of biofertilizers as a nutrient source this book Biofertilizers Production Technology and Quality Control have been written to provide latest know-how on the production, quality control and marketing aspects of biofertilizers. The need for such a book has been felt by the authors through numerous inquiries by cultivators and scientists interested in the overall picture of the role of microorganisms in nutrient mobilization into plants. Because of its wide coverage, up to date information and simple language, this book will be of use and interest to students, teachers, lecturers, libraries, researchers, biotechnologists, entrepreneurs, planners, soil scientists, microbiologists, extension specialists, environmentalists and all those interested in energy conserving and ecofriendly plant nutrient in general and biofertilizer in particular. Authors are especially thankful to Dr. A. C. Gaur, Dr. N. S. Subba Rao, Dr. Tilak, Dr. Kannaiyan, Dr. B. D. Kaushik, Dr. Bergersen, Dr. A. L. Singh, Dr. P. K. Singh, Dr. R. N. Singh, Dr. S. N. Talley, Dr. G. S. Venkataraman, Dr. L. Watanabe, Dr. Brundrett, Dr. Bougher, Dr. Dell, Dr. Benson, Dr. Wistreich, Dr. Mechtman, Dr. Weaver, Dr. Angle, Dr. Bottomley, Dr. Bezdicek, Dr. Smith, Dr. Tabatabai, Dr. Wollum and others

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